The Portland daily press., 1887-04-01
EAToN's CONFESSION.
What He Now Thinks of the Credit
FoncIer.
A Warning Against a Residence at
TopoIobampo.
"The DesoIation of Rocks, Cactus
Fevers and Small Pox."

Some time ago, Rev. Mr.. Eaton in letter
published In the Press, said that he intend
ed to make confession of his error in adyo.
eating the Credit Foncer scheme of colonial
ton at Topolobampo. A letter received
yesterday by Portland gentleman contains
Mr.. Eaton's confession, together with Wig
orous expression of his present opinion of
the Sinaloa colony and the aims of its mana
gers. The letter follows
Los ANGELES, Cal, March ~. 1851
Dear ySir:-The time has fully come when
1t IS my duty to speak a warning word to the
public, and the more imperative since gave
scheme. Bit In good faith, | believed the the
prime actors to, be honest aid acting In good
faith NOW | knot a baser swindle; was
never. put behind more specious veil OF
heartless professions and promises There
is not single particular, in relation to the
colony that has not been basely misstated
by A. r. Owen and his adjutants, and every
one who dares to speak the truth in the mat
ter is traduced by the whole, crowd The
last Statement made is that Mr. Hawkins,
MIR. Eaton, Mr.. Turner, ana others went TO
| Mexico to speculate, and failing to accom-
| plish the purpose have turned against the
| colony. A base falsehood told to cover
| base swindle! We went to Sinal0a in good
| faith, we staid in Sinaloa until we knew the
Situation aud then left with the fixed design
| to warn others to shin the terrible, trials and
| losses VIC have met BY stayllg R,lef5 they
are, 1t IS said we stole away in. the night,
that we would not be hindered from going.
| We did leave in the night, but not for fear of
the motley crowd though they had many
times threatened to shoot US. We left In the
| night to avoid the terrible heat, which wrnt
| up TO 1912 where its maximum limit was said
| to be S6o We left soon after the money was
taken, from, us by, the Suffian crowd, who,
armed with reviewers declared they would
have our money or our blood.
The best minds in the colony see the sit
| uatinn and many of them long to get away,
but it is simply impossible, for the leaders
have their money, and they must stay. Many
| came to us at midnight when we started and
II possible" but shat rtdld Ne doFs How
! help them, when our money had been forced
away from us? Alas, we could do nothing.
The extreme effort made by Owen and his
abettors to ,neutalize the influence of those
who know the true inwafdness of the mat
ter Is that new dupes may be entangled and
robbed of their hard earned means to sips
port the colony WHO arh attempting ali iMs
! possibility 1t is impossible to settle the
colony on any land in Mexico, for they do
not own one square inch. 1t is impossible to
take the crowd there, and reduce them to
civilization, of cooperation most of them
know absolutely nothing. Ii Is impossible
to irresate the, "Moches tract, for there is not
1 hdIOi cuOuSH III Tie Il uerLle TlVer 10 DO III,
and no water can be taken until all the Men
leans have all they renuife. It is impossible
10 sustain the colony from any productive
enterprises there. And it is surely impossi-
Die to warp in dupes fast enough to keep the
sWlndle afioat. There are many families
who sold homes, good homes, at a Very great
sacrifice; have put their money into this bot
tomless abyss and sre pennyless, and the eff
fortis still to catch others in the same net
Against this | warn the public. 1t is a
wicked swlndle; in it l and many Others
nave lost every dollar, and we would SAVE
otnerS from our experiences, Beware aOi
Credit Fonciers beware OF the desolatior
9t rocfs, cactus, levers andismall pox, called
IopoloDampo, beware of specious promises
10 cover the base, the cruel swindle. The
only OBJECT is to ride into power over the
crushed and bleeding hearts longing to es
cape an endurance far worse than African
slavery. 30 complete Is the arrangement II
cut the colonists off from every means of es
cape tnat the letters sent by friends. were al
inspected BY one Pratt; and of upwards o.
| written, not one ever reached me. And my
! experience is that of all the rest who do moi
bow with unquestioning humility to the die
tation of A. r. Owen, and those he has an.
pointed to rule. regret thar ever gave m,
influence in aid of the scheme, but regrets
viii notsbring back the money to those wht
have been swindled but may perhaps pre-.
vent Others from being entrapped. Ali OF
the Maine cOl0nists, together with seyera
other lett In q body aud though they endured
the most terrible sufferings all are well.
Yours very truly,
w II E.Tow